Thanks, Julian.
We hope you enjoy it!
A vote over here for another suggestion, more leftfield in terms of jazz: really more soul-jazz/jazz-funk. Apart from being one of my favourite songs, it’s a challenge to present this with conviction because the lyrics are so simple, but sung well it really brings out the feel within the song. I know from previous vocal coaching that sometimes simpler songs can be more challenging! I don’t have a lead sheet for this (but can make one) - I did an iReal Pro chart for this yesterday (my first one!).
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Nice record James… I’m excited to expand more in the funk genre.
I think that the vocal accompaniment lessons should stick to well-known standards to begin with, as they are the tunes that we are all familiar with.
We can certainly branch out more in future. As soon as I find a musician to teach funk, jazz/funk lessons, I’d love to get your recommendations and insight 
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Of course, cheers Hayden.
Love that! Very cool
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Everybody Loves the Sunshine - fantastic lyrics ! And I love funk. This song is hitting the right spot now as we are waiting for spring in NYC. I’m going to play around with it and see what the chords and mechanics of singing are like. I agree sometimes simpler is harder to sing. And most of the time I have to delve into a song before I know what it’s going to take to do it well. But I really like that piano lick too. Thanks for the rec!
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Hey Lyndol, yes - it is such a simple but cool song. I recently transcribed it and did a chart for iReal Pro (and am doing some of his other songs too). He is probably one of my idols - amazingly prolific: in the 70s and early 80s he released 2 albums a year, and a few years back a whole lot of unreleased stuff from that time came out! Even now he’s approaching 80 and still gigs internationally - and frequently! There is such a sense of space in all his music. Would be great to see what take you have on the mechanics of singing this are like! 
Yeah, I’m digging this tune for sure. Very nice arrangement - I like the drone violin sound (synth?) that happens during the Chorus. I’m been jamming on it with the recording for a bit today and my first impression is that the singing is almost chant like, and won’t be difficult to learn. But keeping it all interesting will be the challenge - The piano arrangement needs to be awesome. I’d want to keep that drone element and that catchy piano lick. It might just be my musical tastes, but I think it’s a melody that sounds best with harmonies. This song does get stuck in my head, and it’s a good one to have on repeat:) He sounds like an brilliant musician and I’m glad to know of him now. Thank you James. I’ll keep bossing this for a few weeks and see what happens.
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Can’t wait to see what you make of it! 
There are also a few cover versions out there (Incognito, RAMP - basically another one of his bands! - and the Quiet Boys for starters…) - sometimes covers offer a different slant, though they seem quite faithful to the original in this case.
Here’s an preview of Lyndol’s upcoming tutorial on “Body & Soul”:
There’s more vocal accompaniment tutorials in the pipeline.
I’ll be posting them this thread so stay tuned for updates!
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This is specifically why I joined Piano Groove today, Hayden - to learn to accompany my singing on piano by taking Lydol Descant’s course. Very exciting and daunting at the same time. But I’m determined. In fact, have already gotten started. She has a lovely voice, both speaking and singing, and great style.
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Hey Joan 
Welcome to The PianoGroove Community!
I think you will love working through Lyndol’s lessons. She’s a wonderfully gifted teacher and is able to break down concepts clearly.
Her skills as both a pianist and a vocalist gives us all a very unique insight into the art of vocal accomaniment.
As I mentioned when we spoke on email, there’s another course of lessons by Lyndol which will be published shortly.
If you have any questions with the material both myself and @Lyndol would be happy to help out.
Looking forward to hearing of your success with vocal accompaniment 
Hi Joan,
Wonderful to meet you! And so excited you are embarking on this journey and enjoying the lessons so far. It’s really such freedom to play exactly what you’d like to sing along to! Please don’t hesitate to be in touch thru this process, questions and feedback are welcomed. Your determination will really get the momentum moving, and then it will just be a matter of time before it’s easy and natural and super fun! Cheers - Lyndol
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Thank you, Lyndol. I’m very happy to be with Piano Groove, and hoping I’ll soon be able to accompany myself in a very simple way, for my own pleasure. I’m just a tad overwhelmed at the moment, so a step at a time. I used to sing in a small band as a young woman, another lifetime, and as I told Hayden that at 83, it’s a joy to be singing again, age having little to do with it. Perhaps there is even more passion at this stage in my life. Have you heard of Jazz singer Elaine Small, also 83, who is singing again professionally after 50 years. What an inspiration. I’ve been playing all your songs and am so impressed with your beautiful voice, along with your considerable skills. I’m excited to be learning from you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36TXENgUZOg Interview with Elaine Small.
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Absolutely, Hayden. Great idea.
Thanks Joan.
The initial inspiration for this course came from our students… we’re always welcome to our students’ suggestions and ideas.
And thanks for sharing the link above… interesting story and a great inspiration to us all!
Enjoy the lessons 
Hi Joan, I just watched the video of Elaine Small - how very cool. The way she talks about the joy of music, I can so relate. And her smile! You and her both are an inspiration to me. I believe more years lived would mean more passion, more wisdom and this would come thru in every note of your music for sure. A treasure for us all. It’s been a busy of year with holiday gigs and travel, but you’ve been on my mind. I hope things are going well for you? If anything gets TOO overwhelming, please get in touch here on PG. I can help you to know what to focus on, and how to break things down into manageable pieces. That’s the secret, keep your practicing challenging yet FUN, with infinite patience and kind words for yourself. Adding this sunshine will make your progress grow exponentially. The more we can enjoy the process, the more we’ll all be more in tune with the real reason for music. Happy Praciting and happy holidays
- Lyndol
Nice words about practicing Lyndon !
And I just discovered that Joan is a best selling author … Awesome to read that 
…
Id like to hear how the darkness of her books could be expressed on piano and her singing . Hope hearing that soon …
Best regards Mesdames
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Here’s a couple more Christmas sing-a-long tutorials by Lyndol:
“Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” Sing-A-Long:
This lesson complements the solo piano arrangement of this tune with a simplified vocal sing-a-long arrangement. Lyndol also shows how we can experiment with different keys when finding the best range for our voice:
“Jingle Bells” Sing-A-Long:
In this lesson, Lyndol shows how we can simplify the changes found in the RealBooks to identify the most crucial components of the harmony in a jazz standard or RealBook tune.
If we are playing any festive numbers at a Christmas party, then the information presented in this lesson will help us play through unfamiliar songs quickly and easily:
We hope these sing-a-long tutorials bring festive music to everyones homes over the holidays, and wishing everyone a very Happy Christmas from all the teachers at PianoGroove.